Low starting pay for new RN?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hey guys/gals,

I'm not meaning for this to sound like complaining, I'm sort of just wondering if it's a low hourly wage to start at. I just got hired last week and found out the starting wages are 19.60/hr. When I figure that rate per year it comes out to just under $34,000 per year. This is less than my spouse makes who is in her first year of teaching at a grade school, who we thought made bottom of the barrel salary. I guess we can't really complain as we're both newly out of school? I also checked several websites and most reported that the median average salary was quite a bit higher, this is why I'm surprised. Please add your insights.

Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

I'm from Cali so you all probably dont even want to know...

I make 31.78 base, night shift differential is 10% first four hours, then 15% the last 8 hours. So it comes out to more like 36/hr.

We get an extra shift incentive that is 1.75 our base rate plus differentials.

In two weeks, I worked one extra ****, so in working 7 days out of 14....I grossed over 3300.

I dont work extra shifts that often.

The economy has been hit ridiculously hard, and unfortunately my husband and I got behind on our mortgage so we are losing our house. When we bought we paid 260k for a older 3 bed 2 bath home on a quarter acre. So our cost of living was high, but not too bad. Now you can buy brand new homes in my area for around 170k.

Supposedly someone told me on their last check their income was taxed an additional 10% due to the California budget deficit. Scary times have hit California and a lot of unemployed are desperate. I can't say that we aren't considering moving.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Where do you live?? Nurse salaries are very location dependent so it is impossible to respond without that information. Cathy Meadows

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm from San Diego,CA. Its hard to find a hospital job here with all the budget cuts and hiring freezes, but I got hired to do flu shots and they pay $22/hr. Only bad thing is its on-call and seasonal.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

As a new grad, I just started in the ER in SC and am making $22 an hour. Like most of the other posters, I'm happy to have a job. Most of the folks I graduated with do not have jobs currently. I moved across the country for this one and I'm glad I did.

The cost of living is much cheaper here. Slower pace of life as well. I feel that I can afford the things that I need and have some extra left over for what I want. I'm happy to be earning something at this point.

It's all relative.

b

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg.

I feel a little depressed reading these posts. I graduated from an ADN program as an RN last December (2008). I work at a local hospital in east central Florida making $18.60 an hour with a small shift and weekend diff. My friend graduated from the same program the very next semester and with NO experience she went to a local nursing home and her starting rate was $23.00/hr. The economy here is like most other places. The cost of living

is not as much, either...but I am still living paycheck to paycheck due to a lot of bills. Now the hospital wants to take away our PTO time that we live on when they call us off. They have frozen any raises. I have 6-7 patients a day, work my butt off and risk my license every day. I am trying to get my year in and a little more experience then I am "out of there" and to somewhere "safer", hopefully.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I started at a hospital in Bflo, NY at $25.40, I work nights so I get a $3.50 shift differential.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow, I am shocked at the wages people are reporting here. I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and work for Alberta Health Services. I to am a new Grad and my starting wage is $33.59. When I work evenings I get an additional $3.75/hr and when I work a night an additional $5.00/hr. According to our Union Contract (Our Union is United Nurses of Alberta) we are entitled to yearly increases. One of my best girlfriends is a Nurses Aide and she makes what you are making as a new grad. Our nurses aides are the highest paid in the region. The cost of living in Calgary is high. I don't know what rent goes for these days as I own my condo. I have a 3 bedroom condo, bath and 1/2, developed basement, car port and live in a lake community. My condo sells for about 295,000.00. If I were to rent it out I would probably charge about $1,500.00/mth. The job situation here is also very bad. If you are not already hired on with the region, you will not be able to get a job. All current job postings are for internal applicants only. Hopes this helps - good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

WOW-that it a nice pay, the cost of living here is a lot less but our nurses aides make far less money. Of course, working overnights we do not have any aides!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OR Hearts 10.
I'm from Oregon and my friend is a new grad working nights at the Salem hospital and she gets 33.00 an hour. I've heard the midwest doesn't pay nurses that well.

I started at 17 in 03 in S ILL, but my rent for a 3 bed house was $450 a month... Was at $22 by the time I moved 2 years later.

It's all relative......

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in psychiatric, UR analyst, fraud, DME,MedB.
NO,NO I live in MD now I'm making $19 an hour. REnt 1100+ uti. was in PA made as LPN $22 rent 680 2bedrooms apt.+ elect. sorry I wasn't clear

Thank you for the clarification :imbar. that makes sense then since MD is a much bigger city than PA....but the rent difference is so big !!!! Ouch !!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Maybe I'm calculating incorrectly, but 19.60 x 40= 784 x 52 = 40,758 (which is the correct way to calculate salary). If you work less, non-payed time off, and not adding in differentials, overtime, your yearly salary is $40,768. not 34,000. You may work less, but your yearly remains the stated amount. I had worked for Intelistaf and Cross Country as well as area hospitals. The agencies paid well into the $40's per hour, (never dependable hours and no benefits) the hospitals $25 per hour (again the low census days, but insurance). I'm in southern Wisconsin. I left active practice and am making 100K now, but it would have never happened if I didnt put my time in on the units. I have a BSN and work for a Global fortune 50 Company.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in l.p.n.
Thank you for the clarification :imbar. that makes sense then since MD is a much bigger city than PA....but the rent difference is so big !!!! Ouch !!!

Don't make me cry:cry: I used to have washer and dryer too in PA {can't get over that part}.:angryfire

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment